The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-07-29
MY QUEER LEGACY.
How / Became Known a. Brown,
the Philanthropist."

am very sharp-sighted man. l
am also diflident- My diflidence has
stood in my way throughout my life.
it i so horribly apparent; and It is
probably through my unfortunate
diflidence that have SO few friends.
hardly know a soul at my club outside
the card room. where il used To be my
custom to play four rubbers Of whist
every afternoon. The card-room at
the Rice and Curry Club. when was
useless member Of society. was my
idea Of perfect bliss; there were no
draughts there. no noises. no disturb
ing influences. Last year some Of the
Radical reformers- we have Radi-
cal reformers even at the Rice and
Curry succeeded in Introducing a
ridiculous innovation. In the memory
OF the oldest member. no female form.
during club hours Al least was ever
known 10 3sgecratc that great mon
astery OF Oriental dervishes. the Rice
and Curry. But they made an absurd
addition 10 the rules last year.
Ladies are allowed 10 partakc Of re-
freshmcnts in the strangers dining
room at the Rice and Curry. il accom-
panied by . member. during certain
hours Of the afternoon. The stras gers
dining-room is gruesomc apartment,
ard don't think the ladies have much
q be thankful. for. With this new
tangled exception, am happy 90 say
that the Rice and Curry il still free
from any disturbing influence.
am BY no means brilliant whist
player. object to the Peter" and
look upon il as form Of swindling; il
may be a prejudice. il probably j..
You will agree that am not brill
liant whist player when l say that my
losses at the game. though ! never
bet, certainly used to cost me Goo a
Year. That was very serious matter
% me then, for il was before ! came
into my fortune, before / became a
busy man and philanthropist
A j. Of the strange manner Of my
coming into the fortune and Of my
becoming philanthropist. that am
about 70 tell. Philanthropy, like dram-
drinking. Is an affcctation that grows
on one; !, whose sumDsssm tonum was
aquict rubber. am now rabid phil
anthropist This is how Il came about:
Though am a very difiidcnt man.
Campbell WIS certainly more retiring.
Campbell was China merchant /
90 not mean that he sold crockcry, but
ne had been head Of great mercantile
hrm In China and in China he had
made his money. had never spoken
70 Campbell in my life; he was sad
looking man, very taciturn. but he
used 70 smoke uncommonly good CT
CARS lie used to sit on one side Of the
fireplace, on the other. and there we
sat and smoked far into the night.
Alter several years we used to nod to
each other, but we never spoke; that
would have been quite contrary 70 the
etiquette At the Rice and Curry. Wugs-
oy-a most Objectionable person, who
looks upon himself a. the club wit and
Keeps alitle manuscript book Of jokes,
- which he notes any thing amusing
snAt no may pick up, and probably
afterwards passes Il on Is his own
sa'd that Campbell and ! assembled the
Two statues 1t the gate q Bedlam--
Melancholy and Raving Madness OF
course he meant 70 hurt my feelings,
cue ne failed; for ! took the Mclancho-
y % myself, N which there Is nothing
degrading. and put the Raving Mad
ness down - Campbell. Possibly Camp
bell did as did.
Al have snjd. ! am very sharp
mted, sat staring - Campbell =
- smoked In silence. had bsen IN